Cnut of Northumbria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cnut |
|
|---|---|
| King of Northumbria | |
| Reign | c. 900–905 |
| Predecessor | Siefredus |
| Old Norse | Knútr |
Cnut (also known as Knútr in Old Norse) was a Viking king who ruled part of England. He was the King of Northumbria, an old kingdom in northern England. Experts believe he ruled from about the year 900 to 905. We know this mostly from coins found from his time. He took over from another king named Siefredus.
How We Found Out About Cnut
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In 1840, a huge collection of over 8,000 old items was discovered. This discovery happened in a place called Cuerdale in Lancashire, England. This collection is now famous as the Cuerdale Hoard.
Among these items were about 3,000 silver coins from Northumbria. These coins had the words "CNVT REX" on them, which means "King Cnut." This was exciting because no one knew about a Viking King Cnut before this discovery!
Some of Cnut's coins also had "ELFRED REX" (King Alfred) on the other side. This tells us that Cnut was ruling at the same time as Alfred the Great, a famous English king. Coins from another unknown king, Siefredus, were also found in the Cuerdale Hoard.
By studying the order of the coins, experts think Cnut ruled after Siefredus. Cnut likely ruled from about 900 to 905. It also seems Siefredus ruled from about 895 to 900, after a king named Guthfrith. Some coins even show both Cnut and Siefredus's names. This might mean they ruled together for a while.
Who Was King Cnut?
It's hard to know much about King Cnut's life. This is because old writings from his time don't mention him. We only know about him from the coins.
Some historians have tried to guess who Cnut really was. One idea is that he might be a Cnut mentioned in old Norse stories. These stories were written much later, in the 1200s and 1300s. They talk about a Danish king named Cnut who was active in Northumbria.
Another idea is that Cnut might have been another name for King Guthfrith. Guthfrith ruled Northumbria from 883 to 895, but no coins with his name have been found. It's also been suggested that Cnut and Siefredus were actually the same person. However, these are just theories, as there is no clear proof.
See also
